Improvement in car-couplings



s. n. wessen.

. Car-Couplings.

N0157 253, v Patented Nov.24,1874.

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BENJAMIN It. WEBBER, OF LISBON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO SYLVESTER BENNETT.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specication forming part of Letters`Patent No. 157,253, dated November 24, 1874; application led I February 11, V1874i.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN R. WEBBER, of Lisbon, in the county ot' Linn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

Figure l is a top view. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a modification of a coupling-bolt detached.

My invention relates to automatic car-couplings; and consists of a coupling-tongue, one end of which is held by a bolt, and the other end is made in the shape of a heart or arrowhead, having shoulders and recesses, forming hook-shape holders to receive draw-hooks made to it the shoulders and recesses of the coupling-tongue, and provided with springs to hold them in place, thus forming a coupling which holds securelyr without any strain upon the springs of the draw hooks; and, while the cars are running on the track, is not liable to become uncoupled, but, if the cars should run off the track, may readily become uncoupled by the coupling-tongue passing upward or downward out of the drawhooks, as hereinafter described.

A is a coupling-tongue, the back end of which is held by the bolt a extending through the tongue, and through the `jaws of the block b, secured to the car by theA bolts al. The other end of the coupling-tongue is made in the shape of a heart or arrow-headrand with shoulders c and recesses c2. B B represent draw-hooks, attached to the car by the bolts a2 a2, and are provided with springs d d at the sides, adjusted to allow the hooks to open to receive the head of the coupling-tongue, and to hold them iu place. Similar springs d are attached by the sides of the jaws of block b, which block is the same size as the back ends of both ofthe draw-hooks together, and the bolts al and a2, and the holes in the coupling-tongue, block, and hooks correspond in size, so that the draw-hooks, or the block with the couplingtongue, may be readily attached in either place, or interchanged where the ends of the cars meeting have similar parts of the coupling.- One end of a small chain, e, is attached at c1 to the head of the coupling-tongue, and the other end of the chain is fastened on the platform of a passenger-car, or upon the top of a freight-car, for uncoupling the cars. with hooks D to be used with a common link in coupling with a car not provided with my coupling devices.

To couple the cars, the tongue A is placed in a horizontal position, and as the cars are run together the point h ofthe arrow-head enters between the hooks B B, pressing them apart till the shoulders c pass the hooks, which, by the springs, are forced back in position, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings; and, by means of the hookshape of the shoulders, the coupling-tongue holds securely in the draw hooks without strain upon the springs by which the hooks are held in place. The cars are readily uncoupled by a person on the top of a freight-car, or on the platform of a passenger-car, lifting the head of the coupling-tongue with the chain, as shown in Fig. 2. The coupling-tongue, shown in Fig. 3, is curved for the purpose of coupling cars of different heights.

I am aware ot' the patent to John Davis, dated October 20, 1863, and hereby disclaim the same, the coupling-tongue and jaws of the draw-head of which have square shoulders, while mine have hook-shape shoulders and holders, as described.

Vha-t I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l The combination of the tongue A, hooks B B, block b, springs d d and d d', all coustructed substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of January, 1874.

BENJAMIN R. WEBBER.

Witnesses:

M. SEALER, PETER LINEwEAvER.

Each car is provided 

